No.11  November, 2016  
   
Hong Kong financial services and transport ministers visited Australia
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, and the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung, visited Australia in early November to foster Hong Kong's ties with Australia and conduct site visits to see the railway development of MTR in Australia together with other MTR Board members.  Professor Cheung also called on his ministerial counterparts at federal and state levels, including the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport of Australia, Mr Darren Chester, and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment of Australia, Mr Steven Ciobo. Read more about Professor Cheung’s visit here.
     
  Meanwhile, Professor Chan  met with his ministerial counterparts in Canberra, including the Treasurer, Mr Scott Morrison, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Ms Kelly O’Dwyer, and Shadow Treasurer, Mr Chris Bowen. While in Sydney, he met with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Dr Philip Lowe and spoke at a luncheon organised by Asialink in Sydney to update participants on the opportunities Hong Kong offered. He also met with representatives of Fintech startups. Read more about SFST’s visit here. (Canberra leg ; Sydney leg)    
     
15th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business
Hong Kong, for the first time, hosted the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) from 3 to 5 November. APK is the flagship event for business leaders, executives and government representatives in the region to discuss and promote economic relations between Germany and Asia. It has been held every two years in various locations in Asia since 1986. Apart from Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, prominent figures from Asia Pacific countries including Australian Finance Minister, Mr Mathias Cormann, and New Zealand Trade Minister, Mr Todd McClay, also spoke at the Conference.  Read more about 15th APK here.
     
  Strategic territorial plan for Hong Kong promulgated
On 27 October, Hong Kong government unveiled a territorial strategy for planning, land and infrastructure development for Hong Kong beyond 2030. The plan "Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030" outlined the city’s vision to become a more liveable, competitive and sustainable Asia’s World City. A public engagement exercise is underway until 30 April 2017, with public forums, topical discussions, briefings to stakeholders, guided visits, knowledge-sharing sessions and exhibitions. For details of the plan, read here
 
     
  Hong Kong going to be a member of AIIB
Hong Kong’s application to become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was progressing well and was expected to make it in the coming months, the President of the AIIB, Mr Jin Liqun, said at a high-level business seminar in Hong Kong on 8 November. He added that AIIB, when issuing bonds to support infrastructure financing, would certainly consider Hong Kong’s strength as a world-class financial centre with a robust business architecture, and deep and active capital markets. Read more about the story here
 
     
  Number of overseas and Mainland companies with Hong Kong business operations continues to grow
The number of business operation in Hong Kong with parent companies overseas and in Mainland China climbed to 7,986 in 2016, according to a government survey released on 26 October. The 7, 986 respondent companies comprised 1,379 operating as regional headquarters, while 2,352 as regional offices and 4,255 as local offices. Read more about the survey here.
 
     
  International wine events in Hong Kong
More than 1,060 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions participated in this year’s International Wine and Spirits Fair held in Hong Kong between 10 and 12 November. More than 70 special events were arranged during the Fair including the Wine Industry Conference, gala dinner, tasting sessions, master classes, thematic seminars and guided tours. With its import duties on wine scrapped in 2008, Hong Kong had seen a more than six-fold increase in the value of its wine imports from 2007 to 2015. Read more about the Fair here
 
     
  Meanwhile, the annual Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival was back again, dishing out delights at the Central Harbourfront Event Space. The event ran from 27 to 30 October and featured over 410 wine and food booths, including five themed zones offering wines from 26 countries. The Festival offered tastes from around the world, including street food and creations from some of the city’s trendiest restaurants and top hotels. Read more about the Festival here.  
     
  Hong Kong House opened for public visit
Hong Kong House, home of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney, continued to join Sydney Open this year for public visit on 6 November.  The one-day event attracted more than 1,000 Sydneysiders who came to explore the architectural features of this more than 100 years old building. Read more here.
 
     
     
   
  Hong Kong
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
  Upcoming events  
  Useful links  
  Tender notifications  
   
   
 
Find us on Facebook